East View of the Al Jalali Fort, Muscat – Thomas and William Daniell

A fortress perched on bare rock, a calm bay and the haze of distant mountains. In this aquatint, Thomas and William Daniell show the Al Jalali Fort rising above the harbour of Muscat, its walls following the line of the cliff. Small sailing boats rest on the still water below, and the soft blues and ochres give the whole scene the quiet light of early morning.

Why it works on your wall

• Soft, sun-washed colours: sand, ochre and pale blue suit white, beige or terracotta walls.
• A travel picture with history: ideal in a hallway, a study or above a sideboard.
• Framing tip: a thin natural wood or gold frame and a wide white mount, in the spirit of an old travel album.

The view

Al Jalali Fort was built by the Portuguese in the 1580s to guard the entrance to Muscat harbour, and it still stands today. Thomas Daniell and his nephew William Daniell were British artists who spent years travelling in India and the East in the late 18th century. Back in London, they turned their drawings into aquatints, a technique that imitates the soft washes of watercolour, and their views shaped how Europeans pictured the region.

• Artists: Thomas Daniell (1749–1840) and William Daniell (1769–1837)
• Technique: aquatint, coloured by hand
• Subject: Al Jalali Fort, Muscat, Oman

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• A wide choice of sizes, all designed for standard frames
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

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